First 3D Ballet In Movie Theaters In The US - Giselle By The Mariinsky

Our Review

First viewing at the noon showing was somehow less than we expected - and at 7:30 we found out why. At noon, the audience was quite small (three dozen) and we were all bunched up in the front one-third of the seating. That seemed the best place to be for the 3D.

But at 7:30 the theater was mostly full when we arrived (several hundred) and we ended up in the center, two rows from the back. At that distance and height, the full 3D effect cuts in, and many of the scenes are absolutely breathtaking. Not least Natasha Osipova, light as a feather and really living her part, in extreme close-up.

The shots of the spirits in 3D in the white scenes (you can see one in 2D in the video below) had some in the audience saying “wow!”. Best camera angle seemed to us to be from the orchestra seats, which was the angle about half the time. The other half it was was up in first or second tier, and that tended to diminish the dancers, and produce some odd perspectives.

Leads and corps excellent, costumes very nice, sets okay, lighting and sound might have been enhanced. But for ballet, brilliant potential. Roll on, new ballet DVDs and YouTubes all in 3D. We’d be surprised if it takes more than 3 years.

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